Installing Keyless entry on my 79
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,662
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville Tennessee
Installing Keyless entry on my 79
I purchased a keyless entry system on my '79 and have a few questions from the electrically knowledgeable ones. The system describes 3 different senerios: Negative polarity, Positive polarity, and Reversing polarity. They say most Chevys have Positive but Corvettes may have the Reversing polarity. I do not have a voltmeter to check the system but the power door locks already on the car have pink and purple wires going to the switch in the door panel. There is an orange wire also going to the switch which has voltage on it. There is a light and a dark gray wire leaving the switch. The plug to the actuator has 2 light and 2 dark grey wires connecting to the actuator. I am assuming 2 of these wires go to the switch on the other door. From this description, can any one tell me which polarity my car has. I believe it to be reversing polarity because of the live orange wire going to the switch but I thought maybe someone may have already encountered this problem. As always, your help is much appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,046
Likes: 675
From: FL
All Corvettes are negative ground. The switch has +12v going in (live orange). The actuator is a just coil. Move the switch one way and the current flows one direction through the coil, move it the other way and the current flows the other direction. Or, it could be two coils, one is energized to lock, the other to unlock. My '75 does not have power locks so I have nothing to look at.
I highly recommend that you get a voltmeter (they are not that expensive try Radio Shack) and a wiring diagram before you start getting into the electrical system. If you get things crossed or shorted out, you can create problems in all kind of weird places.
I highly recommend that you get a voltmeter (they are not that expensive try Radio Shack) and a wiring diagram before you start getting into the electrical system. If you get things crossed or shorted out, you can create problems in all kind of weird places.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,662
Likes: 8
From: Knoxville Tennessee
Thanks for the advice. I wound up contacting the tech people for the keyless entry. They made the repair very simple for me. In fact, i just need to go into the driver's side kick panel to make the modifications. Can't wait to finish this project when I get home tonight! I appreciate everything this group does to encourage and help each other with their problems and questions!
